Cohabitation with Sword Spirit-Chapter 280 - 19: Lingshan
The rules of the Shen Family Outer Courtyard are that achievements must be rewarded, and faults must be punished.
This rule applies equally to outsiders.
There are even frequent cases where exchange students from the Three Academies of the Saint Sect come to study at the Outer Courtyard and receive physical punishment for failing to meet the standards. For example, Wang Ruo, the only daughter of the dean of the Wuxiang Sword Academy, was publicly punished to the point of losing consciousness, humiliating the face of the Sword Academy's eldest daughter.
Therefore, by the same logic, there's naturally no reason for Cyan Cloud Li Family to be an exception.
To reward achievements and punish faults, as the big winners of the pain endurance training, Wang Jiu and his companions deservedly received the day's reward.
On the podium, Shen Herong faced nearly a hundred Shen Family elites with a face of anger. After several cold laughs, he said, "First, I must congratulate everyone here, yes, everyone! I must congratulate those from the Li Family for successfully obtaining the Star Award of the Outer Courtyard. The tradition of the Outer Courtyard is to reward achievements abundantly, so there will be no stinginess in terms of rewards. At the same time, I must also congratulate the rest of the Shen Family; you have successfully let a few outsiders step on your noses to obtain this reward, pioneering a precedent in the history of the Shen Family Outer Courtyard for hundreds of years! Everyone present, including myself, will go down in history; this moment will certainly be a notable part of the Shen Family history. Congratulations to you all!"
Below the podium, nearly a hundred young men and women of the Shen Family were filled with shame and anger.
Indeed, this truly is a disgrace unexperienced in the Shen Family for hundreds of years. The Shen Family Outer Courtyard is a truly prestigious brand, dazzling to the extent that even the Saint Sect of Heaven-Reaching City cannot compare, and the most valuable aspect of this brand is its untarnished reputation!
The Shen Family Outer Courtyard has welcomed countless guests over the hundreds, even thousands of years, but neither the envoys of the Saint Sect, nor the exchange students from the Three Academies, nor the geniuses from other noble families have ever defeated the Shen Family in accordance with Shen Family rules.
This undefeated record is immensely valuable; it can even be said to be an invaluable historical inheritance. As time elapses, this continuous undefeated record only becomes rarer.
Once those who are undefeated are defeated, the previous glorious history will immediately be forgotten.
Therefore, even for powers like the Seven Great Noble Families, an undefeated prestigious brand is an invaluable treasure.
Shen Herong looked down at the expressions of those under the podium, sighed deeply in his heart.
Indeed, these children who have lived and trained in the Outer Courtyard since childhood, though they are talented and powerful, are still somewhat innocent in nature. It's all too easy to deceive them.
This is the benefit of closed training. Although these children have various channels to contact the outside world, such as specific holidays, books and magazines, the long-term fixed social circle with peers of similar values tends to simplify their thoughts; they believe whatever the instructors say.
In reality, how could the Shen Family's prestigious brand be so easily ruined?
If it was that easy to get stained, then over the hundreds or thousands of years of long history, this brand would have been smashed long ago, why wait until today?
Even in the family history records that Shen Herong could access, the number of times the Outer Courtyard has been defeated is not fewer than double digits. 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢
Just like certain Martial Arts Giant sects' Scripture Pavilions, they must have been raided by some thief in history. No matter how shiny the brand is, it cannot withstand the bizarre events over hundreds or thousands of years.
The key is, just don't let others find out, and even if the matter cannot be concealed, having a glamorous excuse to cover it up is acceptable.
For example, today's incident, although Li Family caught them off guard, Shen Family's strongest few were not present; Li Family's victory is not honorable, even if it is bragged about, Shen Family could sneer at today's results.
However, it is useful to stimulate morale.
Seeing the eyes of the young men and women below the podium burning with fire, Shen Herong stopped provoking them and turned to explain the Outer Courtyard's Star Award to Wang Jiu and his group.
This is also a glorious tradition inherited over hundreds of years by the Shen Family Outer Courtyard, seemingly glamorous, but essentially a cruel elimination system.
The Star Award refers to the Outer Courtyard instructors selecting several particularly outstanding students each day to receive special rewards. However, the reward can be vacant, if instructors believe that the performances are generally poor, the Star Award for that day will be omitted. Furthermore, there are punishments corresponding to awards, instructors will select the worst performers from over a hundred people for punishment, even if everyone performs exceptionally well, someone with relatively poorer performance will still be picked for extra penalties. If the performance is particularly bad, there is a risk of being removed from the establishment.
In terms of statistics, the ratio of Star Awards to punishments issued by the Shen Family Outer Courtyard over the years is about one to five. Moreover, once one has received the Star Award, the instructors' judgment of the awardee will become stricter and more critical, so for the majority of Outer Courtyard disciples, the Star Award is really a mockery. Even Shen Feihong and Shen Feihu, the Outer Courtyard elites themselves, can only ensure they won't end up penalized by the instructors; the Star Award is more a matter of fate.
"Therefore, for you outsiders, obtaining our Shen Family Outer Courtyard's award is truly challenging. Our rewards come in three forms. Firstly, special leave approval; unless extremely special circumstances arise, those awarded can directly receive 2 days of external leave."
Upon hearing the word 'leave,' the young people below involuntarily showed envious expressions. The Shen Family Outer Courtyard conducts closed training, the disciples have almost no freedom; even parents and relatives wanting to meet can only take advantage of training breaks to visit, apart from holidays which allow for three to five days of leisure. For these youngsters, the free holiday provided by the Star Award that disregards any schedule planning is really precious.
"However, the leave right might be meaningless to you outsiders. The second reward is simpler, Spirit Stones, Elixir Pills, Magical Treasures, as long as they are within specifications, can be directly exchanged. Based on today's performance, you can get a reward worth one thousand Spirit Stones."
As a theoretical everyday reward, a thousand Spirit Stones is quite exceptional; many lower-level Independent Cultivators would accumulate a lifetime's fortune of no more than a thousand Spirit Stones, even daughters of some Seven Great Noble Families have faced financial distress, living on vegetables and radishes, suffering greatly.
However, for the Li Family envoy group, such everyday rewards are meaningless, given the current money-making capability of the Spirit Cat icon, Spirit Stones would flow endlessly merely by selling a few limited edition signed Painting Albums.
"Then, you should be interested in the third reward, a day tour of Lingshan."
Upon hearing this, Li Wanqing couldn't help but blink: "Lingshan? Surely it's not that Lingshan..."
Shen Herong said, "Of course it's that Lingshan, where in the world is there a second Lingshan?"
"...Then this reward is truly luxurious." Li Wanqing couldn't help but marvel.
Shen Family's Lingshan is a Grotto Heaven Blessed Land passed down from the Ancient Primordial Era, said to be a cultivation cave abode opened by a Shen Family mighty figure during the Primordial Era. The Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi inside is continuously abundant and dense, and the Mysteries of the Law in the cave relic have a primordial aura. Shen Family cultivators practicing there not only grow their True Essence rapidly, gaining twice the results with half the effort but also aspire to break through current Xiangzhou limitations, comprehending some Ancient Immortal Techniques.
Additionally, using such a treasure land solely for personal cultivation would be too wasteful. Shen Family has persistently developed Lingshan over thousands of years, transforming it into a highly mature Immortal Cultivation base. Utilizing Lingshan's environmental advantages, Shen Family has created a multi-integrated industrial park of Alchemy and Artifact Refining with Mechanical Puppets, capable of mass-producing high-end Magical Treasures and Elixir Pills. There is also a high-tech development zone, continuously advancing Shen Family's cutting-edge Immortal Cultivation technologies. Furthermore, a cultivation resort area exclusively for high-level personnel exists, where many Supreme Elders retreat annually.
Overall, Lingshan is unquestionably the core region of the Shen Family, no less important than the Inner City where high-ranking Shen Family members reside daily.
Access to Lingshan is considered a luxurious reward even for these young Shen Family members in the Outer Courtyard, let alone the Li Family members whom the relationship is typically strained with.
For a moment, Li Wanqing even doubted how much of this is a 'Hongmen Banquet,' as logically, the Shen Family has no reason to be so generous.
Shen Herong said, "The rule of the Outer Courtyard is to reward achievements; obtaining the Star Award with exceptional performance deserves luxurious rewards."
Li Wanqing decisively made the choice for Wang Jiu: "In that case, let's choose the third option; getting to see the splendor of Shen City's Lingshan is indeed a rare fortune."
Shen Herong said, "Good, no time to delay, I will immediately apply for the Lingshan access pass."
At the same time, Shen Herong also contacted Shen Yueying, reporting the matter in full detail.
Shen Yueying decisively agreed: "No problem, let them visit Lingshan and open their eyes well, and don't limit the time to just one day. Let them stay a few more days, until Feihong and others return."
